Oelfke joins MCGA board representing south-central MN growers
Above: New Minnesota Corn Growers Association board member Ellyn Oelfke and her husband, Jacob. Photo by Amanda Volsen
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
She is a young farmer that comes from a long line of agricultural producers. She and her husband, Jacob, farm with an eye on creating a legacy for generations to come.
Meet Ellyn Oelfke, of Glencoe, a new member of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) Board of Directors, which oversees one of the nation’s largest grassroots farmer organizations. The board also works closely with the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council to invest Minnesota corn check-off funds into programs that increase opportunities for corn farmers.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to bring a different perspective on ag issues that we are facing, both as a woman, and as a beginning farmer, trying to access more capital and land, to grow our business,” said Oelfke, who joined the board in January. “I am looking forward to bringing that perspective and my background to the position, including the experiences I have had as we work to continue building our farm.”
Oelfke comes to MCGA board with three years’ experience on the Nicollet/Sibley Corn & Soybean Growers Association Board of Directors.
In addition to raising corn and soybeans using regenerative agriculture practices, the Oelfkes have a cow-calf beef herd and work with another local farmer (Jay and Rochelle Eichner) in their hog operation. They also sell seed corn for Wyffels Hybrids and soybeans for Legend Seeds. Their farm is located in Sibley County in-between Hamburg and Green Isle.
“We stay busy,” Oelfke said laughing. “We have tried to expand our operation and our income. My husband and I farm with his oldest sister and her husband (Ben and Jessica Flygare) as HyTest Ag LLC and we fully took over the farm in 2020 from the previous generation. As we stepped into that role, we quickly learned that we wanted to diversify and have multiple streams of income.”
When the Oelfkes and Flygares took over the farm, they adopted regenerative agriculture practices based on their own research and with the mentorship of other farmers. They have seen big savings in equipment, fertilizer, and fuel bills with an increase in crop yields.
“Gradually, as we began to take over more of the operation from the previous generation, we slowly started implementing no till and cover crop practices in addition to grazing our beef cattle on corn fields after harvest,” Oelfke said. “We now use these practices on the majority of our acres. One of the main reasons we switched to no till and cover crops was for the soil health benefits. Part of our mission at HyTest Ag is to leave the land better off than we found out.”
She noted that there is a measurable increase in biological matter and biodiversity in their soil now, and during the recent drought, the fields with cover crops retained adequate soil moisture to help them maintain decent crop yields.
Oelfke (maiden name Swanson), a fifth generation farmer, grew up on a Martin County corn and soybean farm, “doing everything ag” including 4-H, FFA, working internships for local agricultural businesses, etc. She also holds a degree in Agricultural Communication and Marketing from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Recently, she became a volunteer for CommonGround Minnesota, a Minnesota Corn program that connects the non-farming public with resources about agriculture.
“Farming is what I know, and, as cliché as it sounds, it’s in my blood, it’s who I am,” Oelfke said. “I am excited that I have the opportunity to work in this industry in another capacity representing corn farmers across Minnesota.”
MCGA congratulates Ellyn on her new board position. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish on behalf of Minnesota’s corn farmers!
